Sermons

Pentecost 17
Matthew 20:1–16“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers
for his vineyard. 2He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. 3
“About nine in the
morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4He told them, ‘You also go and
work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5So they went. “He went out again about noon and about
three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing
around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ 7
“ ‘Because no one has hired
us,’ they answered. “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’ 8
“When evening came, the owner of
the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and
going on to the first.’ 9
“The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius.
10Sowhen those camewhowere hired first,theyexpected to receivemore.But each one ofthemalso received a denarius.
11When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12
‘These who were hired last worked only
one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of
the day.’ 13
“But he answered one of them,‘I amnot being unfairto you,friend.Didn’t you agree towork for a denarius?
14Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15Don’t I have the right
to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16
“So the last will be first, and
the first will be last.”